Deshaun Watson gave a peak at how much goes on inside a quarterback's mind during games
- Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans struggled against the Carolina Panthers during Sunday's 16-10 loss.
- After the game, a reporter asked Watson what the offense could have done to get off more big plays against the Panthers defense.
- Rather than deflect, Watson gave a detailed answer, explaining that the Panthers' cover-4 defense made it difficult for the Texans receivers to get open deep, forcing the team to utilize double-moves to get them open.
- Watson's strategic breakdown gave football fans a look inside the mind of an NFL quarterback as he sees the field.
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Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans had a rough outing on Sunday, losing to the Carolina Panthers 16-10 to move to 2-2 on the young season.
After the game, Watson was asked what more the team could have done to beat the Panthers' defensive coverage on more big plays and wound up offering one of the most insightful answers you'll hear all year.
"Do you know what kind of coverage they were playing?" Watson asked reporter Aaron Reiss, who covers the Texans for The Athletic, in response. "I'm just asking."
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Watson then began his break down, explaining that the Panthers' cover-4 defense made it so that the only opportunities for the Texans to go deep was on double-moves from its receivers. Watson admitted to missing a few throws but illustrated just how difficult it was to successfully break through the coverage.
Some on Twitter believed that Watson was attempting to put Reiss on blast with his response, but Reiss was instead quick to thank Watson for his thoughtful and detailed answer.
More than anything, Watson's response is a clear example of the cookie-cutter nature of many post-game press conferences, and the act of televised football analysis in general.
Between pre-game shows, halftime reports, and player interviews, football fans will hear NFL-isms tossed around countless times every Sunday. Whether a generally vague answer from a player such as "We gotta get better for next week," or a bit of analysis from halftime hosts that insists a player needs to "get his head in the game," plenty of airtime is filled with commentary that takes up space while not saying much.
Rather than take that route, Watson offered a look into the mind of an NFL quarterback as he sees the field, and calculates what needs to be done to beat the defense that's trying to stop him.
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